DIGESTION

Good health starts in your digestive system! Your digestive system is one of the most important systems in your whole body and the foundation of overall health.  An estimated 80 percent of your immune system is actually located in your gut, so supporting your digestive health is essential and your number one defense system against all disease.
 

When something goes wrong during the process of digestion, it often affects not just your gut, but also your immune, hormonal and nervous systems.  If you often have digestive issues, this may be a sign that your body cannot properly digest and absorb nutrients and eliminate waste, which in turn creates illness, inflammation and an inability to achieve optimal health.  It may seem completely unrelated, but if your digestive system isn’t working properly you can have disease and inflammation show up in other areas of the body, such symptoms might include acne, sugar cravings, joint pain, depression, anxiety, brain fog, headaches, fatigue, allergies, yeast infections, osteoporosis and hormone imbalance including fertility-related issues.

 

A comprehensive intake entails discussion of nutrition, digestion, digestive history, symptoms, family history, stress, lifestyle and environmental factors.  After the intake is complete, labs are reviewed if brought with you or are ordered by Dr. O’Leary.  She may suggest advanced lab testing which can help identify underlying health concerns.  It is important to identify possible food intolerances and gut infections.  Dr. O’Leary uses blood labs, salivary testing and stool cultures to help with diagnosis and treatment options.